All the iOS 14 features arriving on iPhones today that Android had first

by unicoatingsSeptember 16, 2020

Is the new Apple iOS 14 just Android in disguise?

Screenshot by Sarah Tew/CNET

This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters.

Apple on Wednesday released iOS 14, the latest version of the operating system that offers the latest features and improvements for your iPhone. The release follows the company’s Tuesday “Time Flies” event, where it also announced two new Apple Watches and a revamped iPad Air. The new iOS 14 was among the slew of announcements Apple made in June at WWDC 2020, its annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

While many of the iOS 14 features might seem new to iPhone users, those familiar with Android devices could be feeling deja vu. Here’s a list of all the new Apple iOS 14 features that Android already had.

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Translate

iOS 14 has a new Translate app that’s designed for use in real-time conversation. It can translate between 11 languages, including English, Mandarin Chinese, French, German and Korean. As of March 2020, Google‘s 14-year-old dedicated translate app could transcribe conversations in eight languages in real time.

Widgets

With the new operating system, the revamped iPhone ($699 at Amazon) and iPad ($285 at Back Market) home screens now includes widgets, which let you see information like the weather at a glance. Prior to the announcement at WWDC, iPhone users could only have apps on the iPhone home screen. But widgets, which contain more information and are more functional than app icons, have been a mainstay feature on Google’s Android since its inception in 2008.

App Clips

Apple’s App Clips let users preview “small parts” of apps quickly without downloading them. This can come in handy when trying to pay for takeout or parking, since App Clips is compatible with Apple Pay and Sign In with Apple. Google introduced a similar feature, Instant Apps, in 2016. Instant Apps gives apps their own URL so users don’t have to download an entire app for a single transaction, like buying concert tickets for example.

App Library

Another part of Apple’s redesigned home screen is an App Library that organizes your apps into groups and lists. With the new home screen in iOS 14, users can also “hide” apps from their main home screen. This is similar to Android’s app drawer, sans the grouping features.

Apple Maps cycling directions

The updated Apple Maps app provides ways to travel in a more eco-friendly fashion in iOS 14 and WatchOS 7. The dedicated Cycling option helps users find bike paths while taking into account elevation, whether the route you take is busy or quiet, and if you’ll encounter any stairs. While Google Maps doesn’t factor in stairs, there has been the option to select “cycling” since 2010. When I tried it on my Pixel 3 ($500 at Amazon), the step-by-step directions offer a look at elevation on a trip, too.

Apple’s cycling directions in Apple Maps.

Screenshot by Sarah Tew/CNET

Picture-in-picture

Apple’s new picture-in-picture feature lets users watch a video while using other apps. The video shrinks and be able to float anywhere on the screen. It can also be swiped away and the video’s audio can still play. Android phones already have the ability to float videos over other apps, although the audio doesn’t continue to play if the video is swiped away.

Wind Down mode

Another new feature is a Wind Down mode that helps users get ready for bed. The feature, which works for iPhone and Apple Watch ($399 at Apple), lets you set a desired bedtime and wake-up time, and puts your phone into Do Not Disturb mode. There are also options to add shortcuts for meditation or playing relaxing music. Google doesn’t have a dedicated app for this, but there is a way to set up a bedtime routine through the Google Home app.